Fresh waves of changes have swept ashore at Spring
Garden restaurant inside the iconic Suria KLCC shopping centre. Even Aquaman
and his fiefdom would feel right at home amidst such ship-shape, expansive
turquoise surrounds.
Tasteful interior accents trimmed in matte gold and
shades of marsala and tangerine complemented by pendant lights encased in retro
fish traps and floor-to-ceiling display seafood tanks complete the modern
ambience. For the comfort of its corporate clientele, well-appointed private
dining rooms are discreetly cloistered behind sleekly designed partitions, to
ensure minimal disturbance from the main dining area.
One of the scrumptious signature specialities recommended
to us is airy-light battered Soft Shell Crabs sandwiched in cottony soft Mantao
Buns (RM58++ for 5 pieces).
Deep-fried
to an enticingly golden brown hue, the delicious chunks of savoury crabs reach
new gastronomic heights once the savoury and aromatic salted egg and curry leaf
sauce is drizzled onto the buns. An utterly fabulous way to tickle the
tastebuds when you bite into that melange of soft, crisp and crunchy textures
complemented by blooming flavours!
Served half on its shell, the impressive pièce de résistance
of Steamed Freshwater Prawn with Minced Garlic
& Glass Noodles (RM26++/100g) tastes distinctly clear and sweet on the
palate. Imported from Indonesia, the divine crustacean flaunts
tantalising hints of garlic against the silky tapestry of glass noodles like a naughty temptress with its slip showing.
More majestic and no less fearsome, the Steamed
Giant Grouper Nyonya Style (RM25++/100g) makes its presence felt in more ways
than one, like the proverbial grand dame. Besides the fish’s fearsome looks,
the Nyonya sauce also stirs our senses thanks to its robust notes of
lemongrass, torch ginger and chillies. We find the fish’s fine, smooth flesh
readily embraces the piquant sauce like ummm...fish to water.
Before non-seafood fans despair they are being left
out at Spring Garden, fret not. You can sample tempting dishes such as Braised
Diced Chicken In Hot Pot (RM35++/portion) from the a la carte menu. Served in a
stone pot, the generous chicken dices are tossed in granny’s recipe of black
beans and chilli sauce. Once you have a whiff of the resultant fragrance from the
sizzling pot, you'd be drooling and asking for more of that tender chicken
pieces.
A
stock made from chicken and fish bones in addition to dried scallop imbues
loads of flavour to the Poached Fried Rice in Superior Broth (RM30++/portion).
Tai Thong's Group Executive Chef Simon Lee Lit Chang (pix below) also adds a
bowl off crispy puffed rice for textural interest aside from the milieu of
diced scallop, carrot, Chinese cabbage, egg, mushroom and prawn already inside
the pot.
When he finally dishes it up, the bowl of poached rice has a subtle smoky aroma to it. The rice is similar to Japanese zosui with a richer yet comforting overtone, punctuated by bits and pieces of the ingredients doled out.
Dim Sum is also a daily mainstay at Spring Garden
during lunch. My personal fave is the unusual Crispy Shredded Duck Cheong Fun
(RM13.80++), steamed flat rice flour rolls filled with shredded roast duck
you’d rarely find at other Chinese restaurants. The little side dish of chilli
dip is excellent too.
Durian enthuasiasts take note. Make sure you savour
the distinctive dessert of Steamed Charcoal Buns with Durian and Salted Egg
Yolk (RM15.80++). Possibly the only black as night sweet buns with molten,
sweet-savoury and some would say weird combo of durian and salted egg yold
filling, they should go down a treat if you’re into unique taste combination.
Notable options on the dim sum parade include
Beancurd Roll with Prawns (RM12.80++), Taro Dumplings or Woo Kok
(RM9.80++), Xiu Mai (RM10.80++), Tai Thong Superior Har Gao (RM12.80++)
and Steamed Lao Sa Bao Buns with Salted Egg Yolk (RM9.80++) among
others.
